This invention relates to devices that may be mounted on the underside of land vehicles to provide protection for the vehicle drive line and wheel differential from road obstacles in case of contact or other impact to reduce damage that might result. The new protective plate assembly may be mounted below the wheel differential and partially enclose the drive line for impact protection as well as restraining the drive line should it break in some manner.
Skid plates and engine and transmission protective plates may have been used to protect the underside of land vehicles. These devices may be located and attached to various elements of the frame of a vehicle. This structural attachment method attempts to transmit impact force to the vehicle frame. Protective plates that may attach to a vehicle axle housing and a second attachment location that may allow relative motion of parts of the vehicle relative to the protective plate assembly that may also partially enclose the drive shaft may not be known in the art.